The article my group and I were required to analyze was The 10,000 Hour Rule from the book The Outliers by Malcom Gladwell. Personally, while our group met for the first time, I, having searched for various comiccal softwares, suggested that we use a simple software called, Comic Life 3. Since everyone probably had vastly distinctive ideas about labeling out the structures and the plot of the comic, I thought it would be a good idea to set one specific style of structure and plotline on Comic Life that everyone can refer to while working on the project. However, as a group, we faced one of our greatest hardship using this particular program: although the program did a great job in organizing the overall structure of the comic, the program did not provide any support for creating certain effects or images that we wanted to embed within the panels. Therefore, I proposed that we draw the actual comical images of the story and simply embed the images into the panels in the software. As I was in charge of the opening of the comic, I had to draw model images for the main characters (Gladwell and his cat) and the setting. In the end, everyone in the group put in about an equal amount of participation in drawing the comic.
My favorite comical presentation from the other groups was, “Is Google Making Us Stupid.” I thought that the portrayal of the content was well shown. The comic, overall, was very easy to follow, and the sophisticated comical representations of the plotline were intriguing to me because my group and I promoted a simple style of drawings. This group, contrastingly, used two different online-based programs for the project. The group, instead of drawing the plotline, utilized a software, Bitstrips, which already comprimises of multiple choices of comic representations and background settings. It was astounding that the group, with this program, drew out the depictions they wanted to display and altogether organized them on Comic Life 3. In consequence, the group promoted the overall neatness and quality of the images.
This final group project overall relates to other projects we had in the semester because it forced me to use all the graphic skills and techniques I learned. In the midst of working on the project, I sought out for ways I can incorporate both “close reading” technique and “distant reading” technique for the audience. Also, the final project made us go back to graphic novels, Maus, Fun Home, and Vietnamerica to get an inspiration about the way we can organize the comic. In consequence, the project took much longer than my group and I had expected. This project overall was very helpful in helping us review and organize all the materials we had learned during the semester. By far, this project was the most interesting assignment for me personally because it helped me cooperate with my group.
